Betrayed
by da-angel729
Summary: "He has left through the Chappa'ai with the escaped prisoners," Bra'tac says. Spoilers for Children of the Gods and Bloodlines.


**Author's Notes:** Written for the 2010 "Women of the Gate" Ficathon & Art Challenge for **gate_women** at LiveJournal with the following prompt: _The first time Drey'auc has to cope with being considered the wife of a Shol'va. Gen._ Spoilers for _Children of the Gods_ and _Bloodlines_. As always, feedback and con crit appreciated!

**Betrayed**

She hears it first from Bra'tac.

Not the word itself.

The news of her husband's fate.

She has just sent Ry'ac off to sleep when there is a knock on the door, and she does not take a single step towards it before it is pushed open. Bra'tac enters, looking weary and exhausted.

"Master Bra'tac," she says. "Will Teal'c be long?"

She knows, that as First Prime of Apophis, he has extra duties to complete for their God. And she heard, from one of the other women in the market today, of the prisoners who had escaped though the Chappa'ai before Apophis and his newly selected queen left the planet to announce themselves at the other planets belonging to him.

"Drey'auc."

The tone of his voice causes her to stop working, carefully setting down the fabric she is sewing to make Ry'ac a new tunic.

"Something has happened," she says, standing up. Fear builds up, and she tries to remain calm, though she can feel her heart racing. "Teal'c?"

"He is gone."

"Gone?" Gone was an ambiguous word, and it could have any number of meanings. But she does not think Bra'tac means that he is dead-Bra'tac does not mince words.

"He has left through the Chappa'ai with the escaped prisoners," Bra'tac says.

Left. The word spikes through her heart, and she sits back down, mind racing.

"Willingly?" She needs to know, for her own peace of mind. For Ry'ac, it will not matter. She will never tell him the truth. Her son does not need to know his _father_ might have abandoned him for an ideal she has never believed he will achieve.

"Yes, Drey'auc, I believe it was."

She nods, grateful he is not withholding the truth from her. Drey'auc knows, of course, that Teal'c and Bra'tac believe that Apophis is not a God. She allows the discussions in her home, though she is uncertain of what to believe. Drey'auc knows that Teal'c has been dissatisfied of late. He rarely discusses his life with her, though, and she is too busy with Ry'ac to complain. It is not her place to question the First Prime of Apophis, even if he is her husband.

And yet, she'd not known he was close to betraying their God.

What had transpired this day that convinced Teal'c now was the moment to defy Apophis?

"Why today, Bra'tac?"

Bra'tac stares at her, and says nothing for a long, silent moment. "I am unsure. It is rumoured that some of the prisoners were of the Tau'ri. The first world."

He says nothing else, and she does not know if he cannot or if he _will_ not. And Drey'auc knows that he can offer no comfort or hope, and she is grateful he does not offer empty platitudes.

He leaves, almost as quickly as he arrived, and she closes the door behind him.

Now, she is alone.

The market is busier than usual the next morning when she makes her daily shopping excursion. Jaffa, slaves, servants, and families are bustling through the square, voices loud and excited. The escape of the prisoners is on everyone's tongue and minds. And underneath, she can practically feel the ripples of uncertainty.

How can mere humans overcome a God to escape? What sort of magic did they have, to take down a Death Glider? Why did Apophis allow this to happen? Why would the _First Prime_ of Apophis betray his God?

She can _feel_ the stares of the people boring into her back, and they all want to speak to her. Want her to say something, anything, that will deny the truth of what happened. Everyone knows Teal'c helped the prisoners escape. And now everyone at the market is staring at her, wondering if she condones Teal'c's actions.

The fruit seller quickly agrees to her price, apparently not wanting to haggle with the wife of a man who betrays his God. Embarrassment sweeps through her, into her. And she feels as if _she_ is the one betrayed.

She continues her shopping, stops at her regular sellers. All of them accept her price, and she wants to scream in frustration. No one speaks to her. No one. Drey'auc doesn't think she's felt this lonely since she left her home to marry Teal'c, living in the capital city, larger than any she'd ever seen.

And everyone is staring at her.

They give her a wide berth, though they are also making sure she hears everything they say. Every single word of the gossip, the spite, reaches her ears. And the loudest, one she's never heard in her life.

"Shol'va."

_Shol'va. Traitor._

It is everywhere, following her through the market, her daily routine. The words whisper through the crowd. It's difficult to ignore them, but she must find a way.

She wants nothing more than to leave, to hide, to let her anger and worry overcome her desire to behave normally for Ry'ac's sake. Instead, Drey'auc holds her head high and finishes her shopping without ever changing her serene expression.

By the time she's home, she's nearly shaking with the effort of pretending everything is normal.

She has always had too much pride.

She tells Ry'ac his father is dead, and thinks she should feel guiltier when he nearly crumbles in front of her with grief. Drey'auc holds him and lets him cry, saying nothing. Then, when she's put him to bed with a light sleeping draught, she follows two Jaffa to the palace, leaving Bra'tac to watch over her son.

The summons from the new First Prime—the successor Teal'c had picked five years before—is not unexpected, though she wishes she were anywhere else. Drey'auc wonders briefly what will happen to them before entering the throne room behind the Jaffa.

Trig'nor, the new First Prime, is standing in front of Apophis' empty throne. Drey'auc bows her head and slumps her shoulders—something she's never done—but she knows she must handle this correctly to ensure Ry'ac's survival and well-being.

"Drey'auc of the Cordai Plains, wife to Teal'c, former First Prime of Apophis." His voice grates, and she suppress a sigh. She's careful not to let the thought show on her face, something she learned long ago as the wife of a First Prime.

It would be the end of them, of Ry'ac. He's the only one who matters now.

"In deference to the Shol'va's former position, we will allow you one hour to move out of the house you currently occupy. It will then be burned to the ground. It matters not why the Shol'va helped the prisoners escape or left with him. It is an act against Apophis our God and is punishable by death, should he ever return."

It is nothing more than Drey'auc expected, and yet, as she stands and is escorted out of the palace to her house, she wants to scream, to hit someone.

To curse Teal'c, for doing this to them.

To Ry'ac.

She packs as much as she can carry, and enters the bedroom to help Ry'ac.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Ry'ac?" She asks as she folds his tunics and places them in his bag.

"Why must we leave the house?"

"These quarters belong to the First Prime. Trig'nor will require them for his own family. We will be moving to a camp outside the city."

"A camp?" Ry'ac sounds uncertain, and _young_, and his eyes are sad, and Drey'auc wants to tell him the truth. She will not, however, and can only sigh and ruffle his hair, something he has not allowed in two years.

"It is only temporary, my son. We will find another place to live."

The lies are growing, Drey'auc thinks, because she knows they will never live anywhere else than the Outcasts' Camp. She wishes she could feel guilt. She does not feel anything, has been numb since the market.

Drey'auc watches as Ry'ac walks in front of her, following the two Jaffa who are still her escort. He must think it is a guard of honour, but she knows it is not.

It is a message, to the Jaffa in the city and the camp.

They are not to be trusted.

It is Teal'c who put her in this position, and she wants to hate him. She does hate him. Drey'auc clenches her fists and wishes he were here now.

So she could hit him for his foolishness.

He left them. Her, Ry'ac, Bra'tac. His people, his responsibilities.

The eyes cut through her as she walks through the Outcasts' Camp, but she stares straight ahead and follows Ry'ac to their new home, a small, single room tent.

Yesterday, she was the wife of a First Prime.

Today, she is the wife of a Shol'va.


End file.
